Why didn't Rhapsody nab Napster UK back then? Perhaps it did, and has simply taken this long to work out what to do with its European acquisition.

Since Rhapsody has no presence in Europe, picking up Napster International will give it one. Here, the Napster name will be retained, though Rhapsody's underlying technology will be used as the basis for the service.

UK and German subscriber numbers will be added to Rhapsody's million-plus total to make what it hopes will be a more impressive figure. ®